5 Kids Cafes in Cheonan City

By Sarah Powell, South of Seoul Volunteer
Edited by Jessica Lister, South of Seoul Volunteer

Well, the weather outside is still frightful, so our listing of kids cafes continues, now with a focus on Cheonan (you can read the first article in this series HERE, regarding Pyeongtaek’s kid cafes).

Cheonan is a city with a lot to offer - from shopping, to eating, to sightseeing; kids cafes are in no short supply there, either. Its proximity to Pyeongtaek means that most of these destinations will be no more than 20 ~ 40 minutes away by car for many of our readers, and its various bus and train stations means it’s also accessible to those who do without a vehicle of their own (though, let’s face it, if you have to go anywhere with kids, the car is easiest).

This is not mean to be a “best of” list, or even a definitive list; more locations are available for perusal in the SOS app under Directories >> Cheonan >> Focus: Families.

Monello Premium Kids Cafe

Waze: Monello Premium Kids Cafe

Hours: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm

Located in the March Avenue Mall, this is a sophisticated and sleek take on the average "kids cafe"! But don't let it's atmosphere fool you; it's still has all the staples of a good kids cafe: trampolines, kitchen sets, ball pit, climbing area ... the works. Its toy stations are supplied with “posh” versions of kids cafe staples: fancy kitchenettes, trendy scooters, a charming market area, cute little tents and camping sites. There’s a cute “go fish” game where kids use magnets to pick up little fish through a transparent floor. The cafe serves a variety of drinks and snacks, but no full meals; however, lots of family friendly dining options are close by within the March Avenue Mall itself. Parking is available both in a large underground garage, or street-side (and there’s plenty of space there, too).

Happy Nuri Kids Cafe

Waze: Happy Nuri Kids Cafe

Hours: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm

A cute little kids cafe right across the street from Costco and right beside a Daiso (convenient shopping!). The cafe is on the smaller side, but it has a room with a cute knitted swing-tree that children can climb up into as well has hang from. It has two trampolines - one for big kids, and one for littler ones. There’s a ball pit, wooden block pit, and toy stations in a loft. They also have those rolling horses that move when the rider bounces on them, which were a hit with the children. The employees were very friendly and spoke basic English. Overall, it's a charming little place and is well priced. Serves snacks and drinks, but no full meals. Parking is available in a good-sized garage behind the building (the entrance is just past the Daiso); it wasn’t terrible busy on the weekday I visited, so larger cars shouldn’t have problems here.

Tiki Toc Land

Waze: tiki toc land

Hours: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm

Tiki Toc Land is a massive indoor playground aimed at babies, toddlers and young children. They have a lot of open floor space, various playgrounds, trampolines, several different kinds of play stations, a train ride, a music room, a sand pit room, and a 4D theatre for the kids. There are remote-controlled robots and arcade games available for play (so bring some loose won!). They have equipment like bouncers for the small babies and plenty of high chairs. The cafe serves full meals in addition to drinks and snacks. The admission fee covers three hours of play on the weekdays and two hours of play on the weekends/holidays. Admission for babies under 12 months is free. Parking is available in the garage of the building.

JumpingGO

Waze: JumpingGO 점핑고

Hours: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm Sunday - Thursday, 10:00am ~ 9:00pm Fridays & Saturdays

One of several trampoline cafes in Cheonan marketing specifically to older kids, JumpingGO is a great option for preschool and elementary school aged children. JumpingGo has very large trampolines, playgrounds, ball pits with bulldozers the kids can sit in and man, bumper cars, a large cafe, and slides. They welcome birthday party reservations for their party room. They offer group discount rates for groups over 15 persons, but only for official institutions (schools, daycares, etc). The cafeteria portion is spacious and offers various snacks, drinks, and full meals. They also offer an attractive lounge area for parents. Parking is located in the garage beneath the building.

ZooZooPia

Waze: ZooZooPia 쥬쥬피아

Hours: 10:30am ~ 6:30pm (doors close at 5:30pm)

ZooZooPia is both an animal cafe and a kids cafe all in one, and it is great for both young and slightly older children (toddler to ~8 years). The entire facility is completely indoors and has several different areas, the primary being a zoo with mammals, reptiles, fish, and birds - some of which can be petted, and many of which can be fed (food purchased at front counter for 1000 won). There are lots of silly picture opportunities in a mural wing, and other areas have light displays, animal statues, and other colorful things for kids to look at. There's a cafe that sells snacks, drinks, and desserts (no full meals), a large play area with trampolines, an obstacle course, a block pit with toys, and ball pits. They have a train ride, bumper cars, and gundams to ride (with an additional fee), as well as arcade games and the like scattered throughout. Parking is available in the building's garage. It might be a tight fit for large cars, but there’s also plenty of space for roadside parking as well.

Now it's time to go try them all and leave your reviews in the South of Seoul app. Just go to the app, open the listing, and click the star in the banner. You can tell us all what you thought. Remember to include useful tips like where you parked, if they had chairs for kids, or other details you found important. Reviews help us build a beautiful life together. One Star reviews submitted with no comments may be rejected. Please explain 1 Star reviews without being crude or profane. Simply explain the situation. For example: "the food was not fully cooked, the waitress never brought my friends food, and the taste wasn't what I prefer." Korea has strong anti-defamation laws so keep explanations clear and fact based.

For address and WAZE directions to anything on this blog download the South of Seoul App from either Google Play or Apple App Store. 

Why we do this:

We made the app to accompany the blog because it's easier to keep update with current information. In the past we've tried keeping the information on the blog but it's too hard for us to maintain the information in two places at once over time. Since we compile and write blogs around a full time jobs without compensation, we need to do it the most efficient way possible with as few steps as possible.

5 Awesome Indoor Activities

When winter rolls around it can be easy to just stay home and veg but that's often not the best for your mental health. So what should you do when you are allergic to the cold? Don't worry, you don't need to put on a snowsuit and go play outside. Instead grab a friend and checkout some of the fun indoor activities available in your area. These fun little adventures will brighten your winter weary mood and give you something to look forward to during your down time. Here are 5 of our favorite indoor options.

1. Indoor Archery
Locations: Seojeongri, Sosabol, and Pyeongtaek City.

The new thing in town is indoor archery and it's fun! The prices are affordable and they give you little lessons to get you started. This is a great way to begin your bow addiction. We have friends who tried archery for their birthday and a year later were entering competitions. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole with this one.

S.O.S. PICK: We go to Freddie's archery in Seojeongri for a variety of reasons: 1) It's near our house; 2) Freddie is an awesome part of the community and very involved with the foreigner community; and 3) Freddie speaks English and will make you feel comfortable. If you become instantly addicted to the sport, he also has ALL the hookups for gear and classes.

2. Fishing Cafes

You don't have to sit out in the cold to go fishing this winter. Instead, grab some friends and go to a nice warm fishing cafe where you can compete in catch-and-release fishing competitions and even win prizes. Great fun for families. To learn more check out these additional resources on the topic:

Humphreys Happenings

Bost Life 

3. Escape Room
Location: Pyeongtaek City

If you are interested in testing your detective skills, the Escape Room near AK Plaza has a variety of options for English speakers. Everyone who goes says it's great fun. They are quite welcoming to English speaking guests so no need to feel uncomfortable. They even have the rooms summarized in English on their website. It's also very easy to find since it's directly out front of AK Plaza next to the bus stop. 

4. Roller Skating Rinks
Locations: Cheonan & Pyeongtaek

This year Pyeongtaek has it's very own roller rink right near AK Plaza. Winter activities don't get any warmer or more fun than this. The rink is small and you skate around pillars, but that just makes it more fun. This is the perfect thing for a Friday night with friends or for a family outing. Get some exercise and remember what it's like to be a kid again.

5. Bowling
Locations: Songtan, Pyeongtaek City, Sosabol

Who doesn't love a night out eating snacks and rolling some balls across the floor? Pyeongtaek has bowling alleys in almost every area of the city. We haven't entered all of them, just the ones that we think foreigners will feel the most comfortable at. You could even start a bowling league with your friends.

S.O.S. PICK: Pyeongtaek has a variety of bowling options, but one of the nicest isn't far from AK Plaza. Super clean with plenty of activities other than bowling for those that want to tag along with your friends, but aren't feeling like gracing the lanes.

Seriously, don't sit at home and be sad about winter. 

Get out there and have all the fun.

For address and WAZE directions to anything on this blog download the South of Seoul App from either Google Play or Apple App Store. 

Why we do this:

We made the app to accompany the blog because it's easier to keep update with current information. In the past we've tried keeping the information on the blog but it's too hard for us to maintain the information in two places at once over time. Since we compile and write blogs around a full time jobs without compensation, we need to do it the most efficient way possible with as few steps as possible. 

연암공원 Suwon Park

During a recent bike ride around Suwon we most likely broke many rules, despite the fact we were making our best effort to go by them. So I'm going to begin this recommendation by stating, I don't know if we were supposed to be riding our bikes here.  We had avoided going a few places that specifically said no bikes, but the trails we used to access this park didn't have signs that we noticed. We aren't saying they weren't there, we just didn't notice them.

Even though we are unsure if bike are allowed, we are sure dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash and you pick up after them. BE SURE of those two things.  We saw quite a few owners out walking their little ankle biters so grab your fur baby and head outside.

One of the big reasons this park is perfect for you and your dog in the summer is that it is HEAVILY shaded. We were able to avoid direct sun throughout nearly the entire trek. A fact we greatly appreciated after stupidly not bringing water with us. A mistake we hope to never make again, but most likely will endlessly. There are also many napping areas along the way, so you will have plenty of chances to take a rest that are also out of the sun.

This particular park is great because it wanders along a ridge all the way to the lake park that we love. That means you can go jump in water features at the end of your long walk (or bike ride as was our case). That's a lovely end to any outdoor excursion. 

The pin that we dropped marks the beginning of the series of parks and green spaces that run all the way to the water. There are many different entrances and exits along the way.

CLICK HERE for a map and additional info on MollaKorea

ADDRESS: 경기도 수원시 팔달구 우만동 238

Suwon Lake

Whenever I can be near water or in water I am. It's always been a big part of my life. In order to get more of it, this last weekend we decided to go checkout one of Suwon's lakes in the middle of the city. We rented old bikes from the near the palace and road them through the city, along the river, through a park, and down to the waters edge. It was quite the adventure and took about an hour since it was our first trip and we were exploring. I will go into more detail about how to do this entire trip later this week.

Suwon's 원천호수 (lake) has been developed into a stunning park area surrounded by the tall mountainous buildings of a busy vibrant city. Due to our limited time, and our love of getting wet, we chose to visit the section of park that's covered in water features that you and your children are welcome to play in. An entire hillside and boardwalk of flowing, pooling and shooting water that will delight your inner and/or real child.

This is an excellent choice for a picnic and lots of Korean families take advantage of it so you won't be alone. There might also be live music, event tents, and more happening throughout the summer. This isn't where you go away to get away from it all, this is where you go to join in the fun of the city and the culture.

The park is much bigger than what you see in these pictures. There is a long trail system the snakes along the edge of the lake, so if exorcise is what you want, this is also a great place to get it. As an added bonus, dogs are allowed the park as long as they are leashed and you pick up after them. So grab your friends, your fur babies, or your real babies and go forth to enjoy the summer fun.

CLICK HERE for the map and address in MollaKorea.com

상투방 Hike Near Yeonginsan Natural Forest

Next to/Around the ever so fancy Yeonginsan Natural Forest are plenty of hiking trails and views. This one, on the edge of the park has trail access from inside the park and outside so it can either be an all day event or a 30 minute, hearty hike. Just depends on what you are looking for.

The trails aren't easily routed on Naver, but the long hike begins in the lower parking lot below Yeonginsan Natural Forest. There is a trail that follows the road and another that goes up the ridge to the peak. This is the one we recommend. Although on this day we cheated and just walked the ridge. It was still a workout.

Don't be like us. Be certain to take water with you even if you are taking the easy route. The hike is surprisingly intense right at the end and you are fully exposed at to the sun at the point. You are GOING to want water.

CLICK HERE FOR MAP AND ADDRESS IN MOLLA KOREA.

Yeonginsan Natural Forest

Located about 30 minutes from Pyeongtaek is a gorgeous forest and mountain hiking area that isn't overrun by people every moment of the year (but I'm sure it happens). The name is Yeonginsan Natural Forest and it's one of the best places South of Seoul to go and get away from it all because it's NOT on a subway stop.

This gorgeous park can be a hard day of hiking (if you park at the lower free parking lot) or an easy day out with the kids on smooth paths perfect for strollers (if you park at the top in the paid parking area & entrance fee. Worth it. Maybe 3,000 per person). If you are a family with mixed levels of activity, it's the answer you have been looking for. You can drop your avid hikers off at the bottom of the mountain, then drive to the top to lounge about in the forest parks and rec areas while they huff it up to meet you.

In addition to hiking, there is a swimming pool (open only during "swim" season starting in July), a nice zipline, obstacle course, play area, rental cabins, museum, cactus arboretum, water features, basketball court, badminton court, etc. You get the picture, plenty of stuff to do and a peaceful place to do it in.

This is another place we have driven past for 5 years and never stopped until now, we regret it. This is the nicest place for hiking near Pyeongtaek by far. Incredibly well maintained and refreshing, great views at the top.